Tufting button



Dec. 6, 1938.

.LMARTIN f TUFT ING BUTTON Filed Deo.v

ATTORNEY Patente-d Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES OFFE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tufting buttons in general and more especially to tufting buttons to be connected to endless loops of twine or the like extending through a mattress` with the buttons anchored on the ticking on the opposite sides of the mattress.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved tufting button to which the twine may be connected with much greater ease and in much less time than is required-:with the ordinary tufting button today generallyin use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved tufting button which can be inserted through a ticking sheet with the ordinary tufting needle and effectively remain so inserted.

AIt isstill another object of the present invention to provide an improved tufting button which can with facility be inserted through a ticking sheet with the ordinary tufting needle and thereupon act as a barbed needle in its cooperation with the ticking to prevent accidental displacement.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the' invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one speciiic embodiment thereof illustrated in theV accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a fragmental transverse section of a portion of a mattress equipped with the pres:- ent improved tufting buttons;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the present tufting button with the head shown in section;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views showing all the three main successive positions illustrative of the `operative movements necessary to connect a loop of tufting twine to an ordinary tufting button;

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing the two main successive positions illustrative of the one main operative movement necessary to connect a loop of tufting twine to the present improved tufting button; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a button attached to a mattress showing how the prongs of the present tufting button will cooperate with the ticking, that is acting as barbs to oppose removal after once having been inserted through the tickmg.

'Ihe improved tufting button I, see Fig. 2, is intended for use with a mattress 2 of ordinary construction having an inner coil spring con- (o1. er1-e102) and ticking sheets 6 and 1 on the outer faces of the felt layers 4 and 5 respectively.

The ticking sheets 6 and 'I and felt layers 4 and 5 are maintained in. snug engagement with the coil spring construction 3 by vtufting twines 8.

These twines 8 are usually forrnedy into endless loops by tying the ends together into the knots 23 and the loops connected to two tufting buttons I, I, each forming an anchor connected to one of theY ticking sheets 6, 1.

When attaching the tufting devicesincluding the improved buttons I and twines ,V a tufting needle is connected to a twine 8`, pierced through the mattress structure with one button initially located or connected as an instance to the ticking sheet 5 and the other button I thereupon connected to the other looped portion of the twine 8 and connected to the other ticking sheet 'I.

The present tufting button I consists essentially of a single piece of wire 9 having its intermediate portion bent into an anchor such as the loop Ii'l which is connected or imbedded in the button head II. From the loop I0, theportions of the Wire 3 extend in' the same general direction to form the two leg portions I2 and I3, see Fig. 2. Thereupon the portion of the wire 9 forming the leg portion I2 before leaving the head II is preferably bent toward the leg portion I3 and then bent outwardly therefrom for a short distance and then` bent around to form` the loop I4, iinally terminating with the terminal portion I5 :extending upwardly toward the head II `but away from the leg portions I3 and I2. Similarly the portion of the wire S forming the leg portion I3 is` bent outwardly to form the loop I6 similar to the loop I4 and adjacent thereto but a little to one side nally terminating in the terminal portion II also extended toward the head II but away from the leg portions I2 and I3. In other Words, the terminal portions I5 and I'I extend from opposite sides of the leg portions I2 and I3.

It will also appear that the portion I5 extends along the side of the leg portion I2, that is removed from the portion II and similarly that the portion I'I extends along the side of the leg portion I3, that is removed from the por-tion I5.

A twine 8 after being knotted as indicated a1 23 in Fig. 1 is secured to a button I by one operation, to wit by initially positioning the loop against the leg portions I2 and I3 and behind the prong portions I5 and I'I as indicated in Fig. 6 and finally pulled downwardly into the position indicated in Fig. 7 when the twine 8 will be locked in the loops I4 and I6 of the wire 9 against accidental removal. When the tufting needle then draws the twine 8 through the ticking sheet 6, as an instance, it will draw with it, the loops I4 and I6 causing the prongs I5 and I1 to yield while passing through the ticking 6 and thereupon thrusting the loops I4 and I6 with the prongs I5 and I'I through the felt 4 until the lower face of the head II engages the outer face of the ticking sheet 6. After the needle passes through the chamber in which the coil spring construction is located and then passes through the felt 5 and ticking sheet 1, another button is connected to the twine 8, the needle removed and wire portion 9 of the button pressed through the ticking sheet I and felt 5 until the lower face of the button head II engages the outer face of the ticking "I, When the buttons I are so connected to the ticking sheets 6 and 1, it will be apparent that the prongs I5 and II will act as barbs and prevent the accidental removal of the button heads II from their anchoring relation with the ticking sheets 6 and l.

As distinguished from the one main operative movement in securing a twine 8 to this improved button I, the advantage of this construction will be apparent by comparison with the tufting button today extensively in use illustrated in Fig. 3. This former tufting button, see Fig. 3, consists essentially in a headIB having a single U-shaped closed wire loop I9. In order to secure a tufting twine 20 to this button ZI, at least two separate operative movements are necessary, (1) a looped portion of the twine 20 threaded through the loop I9 as indicated in Fig. 3, (2) then the looped portion 22 of the twine 20 passed around the head I8 as indicated in Fig. 4 and then nally (3) the twine 2U tightly drawn down into the position indicated in Fig. 5. Compared with this operation contemplating at least two main operative movements, the one operative movement necessary to secure the twine 8 into the loops I4 and I6 of the improved button I of course presents a very decided advantage.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tufting button having two wire portions, each comprising a leg portion, a loop, and a termina] portion forming an acute angle with its leg portion, the two leg portions extending in the same direction adjacent to one another, each wire portion having its loop formed between its leg portion and its terminal portion and crossing its leg portion, the terminal portions extending beyond and from, opposite sides of said loops to guide two portions of tufting twine into position between said adjacent loops where spaced portions of said twine will be positioned between said loops in nal position and the loops disposed adjacent to one another frictionally to engage the spaced portions of the twine between them.

2. A tufting button having a head and two wire portions, each wire portion comprising a leg portion, a loop, and a terminal portion, the two leg portions extending in the same direction adjacent to one another, each wire portion having its loop formed between its leg portion and its terminal portion and crossing its leg portion with its terminal portion in yieldable engagement with its leg por-tion, the terminal portions extending beyond and from, opposite sides of said loops toward said head to guide two portions of a tufting twine into position between said adjacent loops where spaced portions of said twine will be positioned between said loops in final position with the loops disposed adjacent to one another frictionally to engage the portions of the twine between them.

3. A tufting button having a head, and a single wire secured to said head at its intermediate portion, the free wire portions of said wire each comprising a leg portion, a loop, and a terminal portion, the two leg portions extending in the same direction adjacent to one another, each wire portion having its loop formed between its leg portion and its terminal portion and crossing its leg portion with its terminal portion in yieldable en -gagernent with its leg portion, the terminal portions extending beyond and from, opposite sides of said loops toward said head to guide two portions of a tufting twine into position between adjacent loops where spaced portions of said twine will be positioned between said loops in final position, with the loops disposed adjacent to one another frictionally to engage the spaced portions of the twine between them.

JOSEPH MARTIN. 

